Disciples Church Sermons

Pastor Greg will resume our sermon series I Am With You Always from the Gospel of Matthew when we gather this Sunday. This series will take us through to Easter, and will conclude our study of Matthew. This week, the passage includes the 'Parable of the Great Feast,' and some teaching on the subject of paying taxes.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus showed us what it looks like to have a heart for others. In this final sermon of our summer holiday series, Pastor Sly will encourage us to see that the outworking of the love that God has shown to us is a total transformation in how we view others and serve them. As our hearts are transformed by the Gospel, they grow in love for others.

Over the past two weeks, we've seen Jesus as the perfect sacrifice and high priest showing His love for us; revealed in the cost He was willing to pay to make us right with God. This week, we will see the heart of Christ to change us. He loves us so greatly that He longs for us to be transformed into Christ-likeness and has given us all we need for this to be happening in our lives.

Jesus is the perfect and final sacrifice for our sin. After He offered Himself in our place, there is now no longer any need for sacrifices to be made. We should celebrate this reality always because it means we are freed from sin and its eternal consequences. We can live without condemnation, guilt, and shame, for we have been made right with God through Christ.

The heart of Jesus is foreshadowed in the priestly ministry of the Old Testament, where we see men take the role of mediator between man and God. This role would be perfected when Jesus took it upon Himself and became the eternal High Priest - He remains our perfect mediator forever. We can rejoice in this wonderful gospel truth because we know we can also go to God, with any needs or struggle we...

The story of Isaac getting a wife is a long one, and yet another example of God's faithfulness, and how to live by faith. The task is assigned to Abraham's most trusted servant, who cautiously but faithfully commits his every step to the Lord, and always gives the glory to God for his success.

Abraham's wife Sarah lived to be 137 years old. She saw God do many amazing things during her lifetime, but she did not see all the promises God made fulfilled. As Abraham grieved her death and negotiated for a burial plot, we see another great example for us to follow in realising that God's promises are not exhausted within our lifespans.

It's back to our Abraham series this Sunday as we consider what is probably the most well known event in the life of Abraham - when God asks him to sacrifice his son Isaac. There's a lot about this story that doesn't make sense. Maybe that was Abraham's thought too. But he didn't show it. Instead, we see an obedient servant worshipping God in faith at great cost, and then receiving God's provision...

One of the most marvellous truths of the Gospel is that those who trust in Jesus are forgiven of their sin. As believers, we have cause to rejoice in this every day! Even though we know the wonderful blessing of forgiveness, we often find it hard to forgive others who sin against us. Scripture has a bunch of warnings about the risks of unforgiveness and yet it's something that many of us struggle...

The Kingdom of God is both now and not yet. It's here but not yet fully realised. In Matthew 6:10, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray for God's Kingdom to come. This is for his rule and reign - perfect in heaven - to be realised on an imperfect earth. Until earth and heaven reunite, we live in the confident expectation of the future hope with Gospel power. Will you serve 'My Kingdom' or 'Thy King...

Following Jesus means embracing the truths that Jesus saves, Jesus changes and Jesus sends. The results of this should be tangibly noticeable. If there's no difference in our lives, then are we really following Jesus? In Genesis chapter 21 we finally get to hear about the birth of Abraham's long promised son. This event demonstrates something about God's character. It shows He can be trusted. He t...

The original 'fire and brimstone' sermon! It took them by complete surprise. One morning, they woke up to fire and burning sulphur falling from the sky. It consumed everything, and everyone died. It's a terrifying scenario. So, what do we learn from the destruction of the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah? This Sunday we will examine this cataclysmic event, and see why it is so often referred t...

The Bible gives us several examples of God's righteous judgment. Earlier in Genesis we see a flood that wipes out everyone except Noah and his family. This Sunday we look at the lead up to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and it raises the question for us of what is righteous judgment? The passage points to God's patience, His concern for justice, and His mercy. It also helps us to keep in m...

Knowing that God is almighty, but then really believing it, can often be a challenge that leaves us wanting. We are so affected by our human limitations, that we often place those limitations on God too. The passage we are looking at this Sunday describes the continuing challenge that Abraham and Sarah faced to believe they would have a child, even when they were well beyond child bearing age. But...

We have seen already that Abraham and Sarah's faith has been prone to times of weakness. God's promises to them were not instantly delivered, and so they had to patiently wait. This week we look at how God encouraged them with certain signs to remind them of His promises. God has also given us signs of the new covenant of grace, because we also need reminding of what we have in Christ, and what is...

God made several crazy promises to Abraham, both of which required faith and patience. This week we see Abraham's patient run out as he resorts to a worldly solution to get what God promised him.

Finally we get to the actual covenant! So far, God has made a number of promises to Abraham, but now we see these promises ratified in a formal covenant. Abraham doesn't deserve this - because of God's graciousness, it's all upside for him. Imagine it - a covenant with Almighty God. Is there anyone you could be so sure would keep their end of the deal?

Tithing can be a confusing and sometimes controversial subject. In the passage we are looking at this Sunday we see that Abraham tithes. Why? While there is no specifically recorded command (at this point) to give 10% "to the Lord," Abraham sets a benchmark that is later ratified in the Levitical Law. So, what does this mean for us? Living under the new covenant of grace, is this something we shou...

After Lot separates from Abraham, it doesn't take long for trouble to strike. Through no real fault of his own, Lot becomes the plunder of a war between local Kings. And so Abraham mounts a rescue mission that sees him prevail over a battle hardened army and Lot returned unharmed. But don't be fooled into thinking this happened without God's hand mightily at work. It's another faith lesson for us,...

When it comes to making decisions, we often just resort to what you might call 'worldly wisdom.' Often, however, Scripture warns us against being wise in the eyes of the world, and to embrace Kingdom thinking in our decision making process. Abraham's nephew Lot has one of those big decision moments in the passage we are looking at on Sunday. Sadly for him, he uses worldly wisdom to make probably t...

Imagine, for a moment, that everything in your life is in a good place. And then imagine that, out of nowhere, God tells you to leave where you now live and move your whole family to a place you have never been to. Not out of desperation, not for a better job, not because it will be easier, but just to obey His call. How would you cope with that? Well, this is the scenario that confronted Abraham,...